good intent
by bergamots
Summary: It wasn't the first time that her mom had blown up at her for a late night of crime-fighting alongside her cousin and Kevin – but this was new.
1. Chapter 1

I haven't seen ben10 in years but I found this in my drafts from aaaaages ago and figured I might as well publish it. I'm not entirely sure where this is placed in the canon (somewhere after her grandma-being-an-alien episode), but it basically takes on an au edge towards the end anyway so it doesn't matter too much.

I'm still a bit undecided about the ending. If people want more then I'm happy to oblige. Tell me what you think!

Note: I have no idea how the laws in the US work in regards to youth and the legal ages of when they can do stuff without parental consent – so I'm going off what happens here in Aotearoa/New Zealand.

Title taken from Kimbra's song 'Good Intent'.

* * *

It wasn't the first time that her mom had blown up at her for a late night of crime-fighting alongside her cousin and Kevin – but this was new. Gwen had barely walked in the door after Kevin had dropped her off before her mother had slammed the door behind her, fury emanating off her in palpable waves. Her father stood in the doorway between the lounge and kitchen, watching the two from a distance. He was forgiving where her mother was harsh – and it was then that Gwen realised that this wasn't going to be an argument settled quickly.

"It's not your job to save the world, let alone Bellwood!" Lily had shrieked, wringing her hands while her father kept himself away from the brunt of the confrontation, clearly leaving this fight between the two of them. _Typical._ Her mother had been yelling for nearly ten minutes now and Gwen was beginning to grow tired of the same repeated reasons. _What would you know_ , she thought viciously, as Lily made another screeched point. _I saved twelve people from being covered in alien goo that does god-knows-what. What did you do today? You dusted the house, and made dinner._

"You can't stop me mom – you and dad are always telling me that I need to do good in the world, _help people-_ "

"Yes, but not by almost killing yourself in the process! Your father and I were worried sick! And then you come home and expect us to be _okay_ with that?"

" _YES! BECAUSE IT'S THE RIGHT THING TO DO MOM!"_

There was a shocked silence – her voice had been more than her own in that moment – there was a guttural edge to it that she felt in her skin, in the marrow in her bones. Gwen could feel the ends of her hair crackling with the force of her magic. It was all over her skin, vibrating like bees. She could almost see the lilac seeping through her skin, she could practically taste it in her mouth – saccharine and heady and _right_. Lily went to open her mouth, but Gwen beat her to the punch.

"I don't care what you say mom – and I'm not going to stop either. _You can't stop me –_ nobody can. People need help and I _can_ help them! This is what I want to do – what I'm _going_ to do." She took a shaky breath, glancing between her parents, who were wearing identical expressions of shock. "I'm going to bed now. 'Night."

She quickly turned and all but ran up to her room, climbing the stairs two at a time. Closing the door firmly behind her, Gwen sunk onto her bed, curling into the patterned duvet. This was something new – she'd always been a good kid. Was this the dreaded 'teenage rebellion' phase she was meant to go through? Granted, hers were a little more high stakes than _'but Daddy I love him!',_ but still. It wasn't like she was doing anything wrong – hell, she had saved lives tonight. They all had – what was wrong with that? Tracing the patterns on her duvet, Gwen closed her eyes and focused on her breathing, on the inhalation and exhalation. Slowly, she felt the residual magic leave her skin, crackling and fizzing to nothing. Time passed.

She could hear murmurings downstairs, and occasionally, her mother's raised voice. She drowned them out, focusing on the sounds outside. A car had stopped nearby, and two people had walked out. One person was jumpy – light, unable to keep still for long. The other was steady, but cautious. They were getting closer and – _ah._ There were a few moments of harsh whispers between the two before she heard them climb onto the roof. There was a light tap at the window.

"Can I come in?" a muffled voice asked. Sighing, Gwen sat up and moved towards the window. It was Ben – alongside Kevin. They slipped into her room with practiced ease, Kevin warily eyeing her bedroom door.

"How much did you hear?"

"Enough," replied Ben easily, flopping onto her bed and kicking his shoes off. "It doesn't matter though – you do you, Gwen. I'm not gonna stop you if don't wanna do this hero stuff anymore, but I think you'd be wasting your powers if you didn't try to help people – and you're really good at it too!"

Gwen walked to her desk and grabbed a few of her magic books, bringing them back to her bed, sitting down next to Ben. "I know, Ben. But Mom's been antsy about it for a while and…I don't know. It's not like my grades have been suffering or anything."

Kevin snorted. "Yeah, like that would happen."

Gwen rolled her eyes. "Very funny, Kev. But I don't know what to do. They're my parents and I love them, but they don't understand y'know?"

"So what are you gonna do then?" Ben asked, sitting up on the bed.

The question hung in the air for a while.

"I'm not going to stop," she said finally, flicking through the pages of her magic volumes distractedly. "It doesn't matter what Mom or Dad think – I can't just sit around when shit goes down and I can make a difference."

"Good," Kevin said shortly. "You'd go crazy in an hour if you stopped y'know."

Gwen smiled softly. "Probably. But you guys should probably go now. Mom won't be happy if she finds you two up here."

"Yeah, we should go Kevin – Aunt Lily gets terrifying when she's angry. Once, I accidentally broke a vase when I was playing tag with Gwen and-"

"I'll be down in a minute," Kevin interrupted, motioning to the open window. "Do you need a ride home?"

Ben shook his head, grabbing his shoes. "Nah, I think I'll walk home tonight. See you guys tomorrow?"

Gwen nodded wearily. "We'll see you at Mr Smoothie. 'Night Ben."

He slipped out onto the roof and cautiously slid the window back down. It was a few minutes before Gwen bothered looking up at the older boy who had settled himself on the carpet, leaning against her door.

"I don't know whether I should take advice from you," she joked, closing her book and placing it by her side. "You're technically a criminal, right?"

Kevin shrugged. "If you're struggling with conscience now it's a bit late. But that's not what I wanted to talk to you about." He rolled his neck from side to side. "Your parents won't let this go, y'know. Every time you go out now they're gonna fight you. Take away shit from you in a petty attempt to keep you kerb side."

"They wouldn't-"

"They will." He stared at her. "I bet you right now that they're down there talking about what they're gonna do. Your dad will come up and explain, sadly, that you mean too much to them and you can't act that way when they're just trying to protect you. You gotta take a stand now."

"And do what exactly?"

Kevin rubbed the back of his neck. "Don't give them the upper hand. You won't get that if you stay here."

"What, I just run away?" she asked, sitting up properly. "I couldn't just go to Ben's."

He ducked his head. "You could always crash at mine. Or we could go on a road trip – long enough for them to be grateful you ever came back."

"You're actually being serious."

"Yeah. I don't want you to- us three, we're a good team, right? Me and Ben wouldn't last an hour without you."

"But you're saying we should go on a road trip and leave Ben here?"

Kevin sighed. "I never said it was a good plan. But tonight was the biggest night we've had all month. Ben would be fine."

Gwen slid off the bed, sitting opposite him on the floor. "You really think they'll be that harsh."

"They're parents – of course they will be. But this isn't their choice to make – it's yours. You won't be happy here though, that much I know. You're not happy now."

She chewed on her lip, resting her head on her knees. "They'd call the cops," she said finally. "It wouldn't matter where we went."

"You're sixteen now, right?"

"Yeah."

Kevin shrugged. "That's old enough that the state will turn a blind eye – they have with me. How else do you think I can rent a house?"

"But-"

"Look," he said quickly, running a hand through his hair. "You don't need to decide right now. But they are going to be harder on you – and they won't care about how you feel in all of this – because it's all for the _'greater good'_ , right?" He snorted, standing up and dusting off his jeans. "Give me a call if you want out, yeah? I'll come grab you and we'll leave for a week or something."

She stood up slowly, watching as he threw one last accusatory glance at the door before sliding the window back up and climbed out onto the roof cautiously.

"You'll be okay, yeah?" he asked, watching her carefully. Gwen nodded wearily, grasping his hand for a moment before letting go.

"I'll be fine Kevin. Go, I can hear someone coming up the stairs."

He smiled at her briefly, before landing softly on the grass and quickly disappearing into the night.

There was a knock on the door, and she could feel the flare of magic in her fingers. " _What_?" she asked harshly, sliding her window down swiftly.

Her dad opened the door, an apologetic look on his face. "I'm sorry we had to yell at you sweetie, but-"

"Mom yelled." Gwen said shortly, moving from the window ledge and collecting her magic books from her bed. "You stood there and let her."

Her father had the grace to look a bit guilty. "Yes, well, you also yelled, Gwen. We're all guilty parties here if you want to get technical about it."

"What do you want?"

"Your mother and I…we had a discussion, and we both think that there needs to be a few changes around here. We understand why you want to help people – but it is just so _very_ dangerous and your mother can't cope with you out at all hours doing god-knows-what." He sighed heavily, avoiding her hard stare. "You won't be going out with Ben anymore, nor that Kevin boy – or anybody, really. You're grounded. You've lost your cell phone rights too." He held out his hand expectantly.

 _Sonofabit-_

"No, you're right Dad," she replied quietly, closing her eyes tightly and balling her hands into fists at her sides. _Breathe, Gwen. Ignore the feeling. It is only there because you allow it to be._ "Can I text Laura from school so that she knows? We've been working on a cross-class project and I need to let her know that she'll need to find me at school instead of texting me."

He paused, before nodding. "It needs to be down in the lounge in twenty minutes, alright?"

"Yes Dad," she said, watching as he closed the door behind him, feeling her muscles tense up. She only had twenty minutes.

As soon as the door closed she dove for her coat, finding her phone and quickly finding Kevin's name in the contact list. It only rung once before he picked up.

"Gwen, what's-"

"No time," she whispered quickly, awkwardly craning her neck to hold the phone between her ear and shoulder as she dug around in her closet for her duffle bag. "I need out. You need to get here in five."

There was a beat before he replied. "I'll be here in two," he replied, and she could hear the engine revving in the background. "Don't worry about clothes – grab your books and your wallet. I'll cover the rest."

"Thank you," she breathed out, shoving her phone into the bag and opened a drawer under her bed, piling book upon book into her bag. She couldn't hear anything from downstairs, which was generally a good sign but right now she didn't trust her mother. The ultimatum had obviously come from her and Gwen could only hope she hadn't been paying attention to whatever schoolyard gossip Gwen had mentioned from the last month – Laura had dropped out of school and moved Canada with her boyfriend. The irony was not lost on her.

There was a soft tap at her window and she nearly shrieked, before recognising who it was.

"Give me the bag," he said softly once she opened the window. "Is there anything else you need to bring?"

She glanced around her room, before darting back to grab her coat. "I'll live without the rest," she answered tiredly, climbing out of her window awkwardly – she really should invest in more pants. He stood next to her, duffle bag slung over his arm.

"You alright?" he asked, linking his fingers with hers. She squeezed his hand tightly.

"Hopefully," she replied, hopping onto the created platform, tugging Kevin's arm. "C'mon. Dad said twenty minutes. That means ten to mom."

He nodded, jumping quietly onto the grass and watched her house carefully as they darted down the street. "We'll be fine," he said, throwing her bag into the back seat once they reached his car, parked a few houses down.

Gwen shook her head, sliding into the passenger side and sunk down in her seat. "Just drive, Kevin," she mumbled, curling her knees up.

"Will do," he said, starting up the engine and swiftly pulling out onto the street. It didn't take him long to leave the city limits – eventually the lights faded behind them and Gwen rested her head against the window, eyes glassy and wide.

He had been driving for over an hour before he pulled over – they were on the old highway that few knew about anymore, and the Milky Way stretched out before them like guiding lights.

"Where are we?" she asked finally, following him out of the car to where he leaned against the bonnet.

"I needed a break," he responded. "And so did you."

Gwen shivered in the cool air. "But where?"

He gathered her quickly into his arms, covering her hands with his. "Somewhere south of Bellwood," he said. "We'll keep going in a bit. You looked like you forgot how to breathe."

She half-laughed, half-sobbed, turning in his arms so she could bury her head into his chest, arms snaking around his neck and slim fingers resting at the base of his neck. "Thank you," she murmured, gently stroking his scalp. He pressed a kiss into her hair, watching the road for any sign of light.

"S'alright," he replied, rubbing her back slowly. "You needed this."


	2. Chapter 2

Hello! Here is part two. There is probably going to be a part three (and then some more). I'm astounded by the response I've had – I'm very flattered by the comments you've given me. Hopefully I can live up to expectations!

Just a note on the laws I'm working with here – in Aotearoa a person can legally leave their home at 16 without their parents' consent – however, until the person is 17 the government agency that deals with youth (in our case, CYFS or the police) can step in and send you back to your caregivers if they have reasonable evidence that you are 'at risk', or place you in the guardianship of the court until you are 18 (by which time you are considered an adult in society and no longer under their jurisdiction).

For the purposes of this fic, Gwen is not quite 17 – but that date is looming ever closer and time is running out for her parents to have her returned whether she likes it or not.

Kudos to Linkin Park for reminding me how angsty teenagers are.

Warnings: underage drinking, language

* * *

(10:11pm) _**what the fuck gwen**_

(10:11pm) _**i leave u 2 alone for 5 minutes and u run away?**_

(10:12pm) _**aunt lily called here and yelled at me for like 44 years and NOW mom and dad are gonna ground me?**_

(10:16pm) _**btw ur ok to text me i won't give away ur location or anything i just wanna know if u and kevin r safe ok**_

(11:19pm) _We're fine Ben. Sorry Mom yelled at you. Mr Smoothie on me when I come back._

(11:11pm) _**ye, but when r u coming back**_

(11:22pm) _I don't know._

(11:24pm) _**thats really helpful cuz**_

* * *

 _19 missed calls from Mom. Call 202 to hear voicemail._

* * *

(3:55pm) _**its rlly weird not hanging out with u guys everyday**_

(3:56pm) _**i have to keep deleting ur txts bc mom keeps asking to check my phone**_

(3:58pm) _**dont txt me until i txt u k**_

(3:58pm) _**dont reply after like an hour or something**_

(3:59pm) _Thanks for the heads up. Kevin says hi._

* * *

 _11 missed call(s) from Mom. Call 202 to hear voicemail._

 _You have 26 new voice message(s). Last message received at 13:56. Call 202 for more information._

* * *

(4:13pm) _**i had to talk to the cops today about you guys**_

(4.13pm) _**i said that i had talked t little bit but u arent rlly replying much**_

(4.14pm) _**also now we have 'family dinners' bc this is somehow MY FAULT?**_

(4.16pm) _**i dont think u understand how fcuking awkward they r bc we all sit there and eat gross potato salad and prentend like nothing is wrong but**_

(4.17pm) _**the only reason were having these in the first place is bc u buggered off**_

(4.28pm) _The cops should be focusing on solving REAL crimes Ben. Yesterday Kevin and I stopped a human trafficker. A HUMAN TRAFFICKER BEN._

(4.32pm) _I s2g I have done more in in the last 3 weeks than in my entire LIFE._

(4.34pm) _**did u beat him up?**_

(4.34pm) _It was awesome._

* * *

(11.23pm) _Come home sweetie. We're not mad at you._

MESSAGE DELETED

(8.36am) _Your mother and I just want you home safe. Please let us know where you are._

MESSAGE DELETED

* * *

 _13 missed call(s) from Mom. Call 202 to hear voicemail._

 _1 missed call(s) from Dad. Call 202 to hear voicemail._

 _You have 39 new voice message(s). Last message received at 11:06. Call 202 for more information._

* * *

(11.38am) _**got called into the principals office today to talk about how im 'coping' lmao**_

(11.39am) _**ur parenst were there tho so it wasnt rlly that funny**_

(11.39am) _**just awkward as shit**_

(11.39am) _**ur mom doesn't look good**_

(11.40am) _**when r u coming back**_

(11.52am) _Not for a while. I need time to think._

(11.53am) _**need time making out with kev prolly**_

(11.54am) _Ben I will cut you so help me god_

(11.56am) _**kk, soz**_

(11.57am) _**i miss u guys**_

(11.57am) _**theres not even any alien stuff happening atm**_

(12.09pm) _What did the cops want?_

(12.11pm) _**if i had been in contact with u again**_

(12.12pm) _**how to contact u**_

(12.17pm) _They can have fun trying._

(12.20pm) _**u made ur point. aunt lily looked terrible**_

(12.38pm) _And what, like this is somehow worse? God forbid I do something without mom's permission for a change._

(12.39pm) _Kevin and I helped some plumbers today. It was nice to do something useful with familiar faces._

(12.44pm) _**what r u even doing**_

(12.48pm) _Driving, mainly. We pick up odd jobs where they are. We found a lake yesterday. It reminded me of the one Grandpa liked to take us to._

* * *

Gwen sighed and put her phone back into her bag, leaning back against the windshield of Kevin's car, focusing on the sounds of the water lapping at the lake's edge. Driving was becoming monotonous, even with the ever-changing scenery and she was grateful for the extended break that they were having.

Kevin had wandered off down towards the lake for a swim, but Gwen was content to stretch out on the bonnet of his car, enjoying the warm sun beating down on her bare arms and legs. It was freeing, to say the least – not having a care in the world about her _old_ life, to the responsibilities she had shrugged off like a snake with old skin. For the first time in her life Gwen felt like she had a purpose; an actual chance to do good in the world and make a legitimate difference in peoples' lives.

Was it so hard for her parents to understand that? Even at home she had always felt like she was treading on thin ice by just being herself – apparently doing selfless acts just didn't cut it under Lily Tennyson's rules.

She didn't miss home, not really. It had been nearly two months now – two months of cheap motels, late night beer that wasn't quite cold enough and the quiet spaces in the morning where she would wake quickly and Kevin would not. It was an easy existence that she honestly thought she would have trouble adjusting to – but in reality it was practically her calling.

Every week or so trouble managed to find the two of them – sometimes local, sometimes galactic, but every encounter only seemed to reinforce to her that this was _right_ , this was _good_.

It was addicting.

The sounds of cicadas and birdsong were all she could hear as she rested upon the car bonnet. Everything was so much simpler now – she ate, she slept, she drank, she laughed. She did good deeds and punished the bad ones where she could.

And Kevin –

Gwen bit her lip, rolling back her shoulders as she adjusted her position on the car. It was exhilarating to be spending so much time with him. _Kevin_ had always been a topic that she quickly skimmed over at home, and while they were no longer in the awkward stage of flitting around each other likes moths, there was the very _real_ danger of becoming too invested in him when their routine was being lived in a day-to-day existence.

She had always been jealous of the other girls at school – the pretty ones, the ones with boyfriends who would pick them up after school for dates and weekend getaways. It wasn't quite the same when your cousin was yelling at you to hurry up – and when all your adventures would hardly make for good instagram posts.

Gwen supposed she might be a little lonely, after all – she didn't have many friends at her school, and the ones she did were hardly the types that she would bare her heart to. The girls she hung out with in the breaks were nice enough, but none of them were really interested in the wider issues: instead, they preferred to gossip over Carol Heymans' latest beau and the new rumours swirling around regarding the sluts and virgins of the week.

She wondered whether she was even missed – she was being careful not to log into any social media until she was absolutely sure that the cops weren't immediately going to bust her, and it wasn't like Ben moved in the same social circles as her: he probably didn't even know what instagram was, let alone how to use it.

Carefully, she pushed herself off the car bonnet and toed off her sneakers, placing them on the hood next to her bag, and began walking down the overgrown path to the lake. She wasn't sure how Kevin had come to know of this place – but it had become their regular haunt over the last few weeks. Kevin claimed that the cops never bothered with this part of the state, but Gwen was sure that he was getting a little tired of drifting from place to place. She was too, if she was being honest. She missed the quiet hum of Bellwood, the redwood forest that was half a mile from her house. She missed the hazy lights at night; she missed wandering the streets with Ben after a fight; she missed the three of them eating cheap takeout in a parking lot, sauce smeared across her chin and Kevin's warm presence at her back.

Their relationship had changed, she now realised, pushing a low-hanging branch out of her face and rounding the corner of the now-worn path. It wasn't necessarily a bad thing, but…

The lake suddenly came into view and Gwen was momentarily dazzled by the sun reflecting off the surface. Carefully, she made her way down to the bank, pausing at the edge and letting the water lap over her feet. Kevin was a ways out, bobbing in and out of the water like an overgrown otter. It wasn't until she realised that he had been under for over three minutes for her to click on that he was using his powers.

 _Smart._

She quickly shrugged out of her shirt and shorts and threw them back onto some rocks before wading further into the water. At this point she wasn't really worried about what Kevin would say, or think. He had made his stance clear long ago, but today Gwen was feeling like prodding that particular rule. She didn't really care that she was playing dirty – her bra and underwear were nice enough to not look _entirely_ like lingerie – but Gwen was tired of the routine they had slipped into.

She was tired of being the girl that was placed to the side like an interesting curio to look at _properly_ later on. She was tired of being overlooked and ignored by her peers and by her parents. She was tired of catching Kevin looking at her like he wanted to say something, but never followed through.

Gwen Tennyson was tired of waiting.


	3. Chapter 3

_apologies for the time between updates - i hope the developments in this chapter more than make up for the wait ;) this fic has truly taken on a life of its own and i'm not entirely sure what the endgame is going to be yet but i have a few ideas!_

* * *

It was early in the morning when the alarm went off on her phone – she felt the vibrations more than the sound first, and there were a few moments of sleepy, not-entirely with it groping around her pillow before she swiped clumsily across her screen, eyes squinting at the harsh brightness. There were a few failed attempts before the incessant chiming and beeping stopped and Gwen slumped back down onto the bed, curling further into the warm spot she had made. She could faintly hear birdsong outside, swooping calls from sparrows and lilting tunes from birds that did not sound familiar: in this environment there were many new and undiscovered sights, sounds and smells.

Kevin groaned next to her, before rolling over in bed, hogging even more of the flimsy duvet. Gwen felt the fabric pull roughly over her legs and she let her phone drop to the floor with a soft _thump_ , her arm hanging listlessly over the edge of the bed. It was cool in the room, and she could feel the hairs on her neck and arms begin to prickle. Kevin's steady breath was the only sound she could hear, and Gwen slid an arm around his waist, resting her forehead against the large expanse of his back.

She dozed for a while – she had never been one to simply fall asleep when she felt like it, or was able to – unlike Kevin, who had the magical talent to fall asleep in the strangest of places with apparent ease. She pressed a soft kiss against his skin, and her hand ran over the skin of his stomach, grazing through the sparse hair that covered his skin. Kevin mumbled something incoherently, his voice gravelly and tinged with sleep, before he rolled back over, pulling her flush against him. His hands rested on the small of her back, fingers barely grazing the edge of the underwear she had remembered to put on and he rested his chin on the top of his head.

"Let me sleep for a few more minutes, _woman_ ," he groused, pulling her weight on top of his more fully. "It's barely sunrise."

Gwen hummed, running her fingers over his collarbones slowly, her fingernails dragging slightly against the grain of his skin. "You think we'll be okay here for a few more weeks?" she asked softly.

There were a few moments of silence before she heard Kevin's steady breathing once more. Carefully, she extracted herself from his loose hold, watching fondly as he curled into the middle of the bed, his face free from tension. He looked younger in these small hours – gone was the wanted criminal constantly on the run, and instead she was left with someone who was just as scared as she was.

They were both afraid to admit what they knew was coming – their way of living currently was completely unsustainable, even with a safe house in the middle of nowhere. It had been a stroke of good luck that Kevin had a friend, who knew a friend, who knew _another_ friend who had a small house – _bolt hole_ , she thought grimly, out in the sleepy backwaters of southern Washington. It wasn't for forever, however.

 _This_ couldn't last forever.

It had been almost five months since she had left Bellwood city limits, and a month and a half since she had last been in contact with Ben. His radio silence had worried her somewhat, but logically she knew he would be okay. He had a support system in place, people that would look out for him.

A little voice told her she ought to be amongst them. She shook her head as she stood, padding softly over their discarded clothes towards the small ensuite. The house was nothing short of _lovely_ : Gwen could well imagine herself buying a place like this later on in life, but she was young and still struck by a wanderlust that had taken them just shy of the border on both ends of the country. They always ended up coming back to Washington though. There was just _something_ about this state (beyond the apparent lack of _any_ law enforcement whatsoever) that kept drawing her back. Kevin seemed unconcerned with where they travelled, for the most part, and Gwen felt that settling themselves down like this was probably not the worst idea that they had: it certainly gave them some much-needed space.

There was only so much in his car.

She left the door ajar as she went to the toilet, grabbing the facecloth she had left in the sink after her shower last night, quickly wiping down her face. The coolness of the damp cloth felt pleasant against her face, and she spent a few minutes simply breathing, pressing her eyes against the cloth. She could hear Kevin start to move around in the bedroom and she flushed the toilet, moving aside to the sink as he made his way in, unbuttoning his pants in a sleep-heavy daze. She grabbed her brush from the countertop and quickly pulled her hair into a somewhat respectable ponytail, kissing Kevin lightly before walking out of the bathroom, kicking their clothes out of the way. She rummaged around for a new bra in the clean laundry pile she had yet to sort and quickly put it on, before throwing open the curtains and opening the windows. Kevin was right: the faint yellow glow of sunrise was just beginning to filter through the thick redwoods that surround the cottage, the light dappling on her skin, highlighting what few freckles she had left on her arms.

Most days it drizzled, though barely any of it ever reached the house – the sheer density of the forest surrounding them meant that they could stay relatively dry despite the dreary weather. Gwen knew Kevin wasn't as fond of the rain as she was: something about reacting badly as a child when he was still coming to grips with his osmonian powers – but for Gwen it was like living in a thick fog of mana. Though high school biology had taught her enough to know it wasn't a _true_ symbiotic relationship (though what did biology know of her magic and how it manifested? Whose right was it to say that their definition of life was worth more than someone else's?) but often she felt like she was protecting this forest as much as it did for her. There was a pulse in the ground – not an earthquake – but a steady thrumming, thumping heartbeat in this land.

Kevin walked back into the room, yawning loudly and rubbing at his eyes. "We don't need groceries yet, do we?" he asked sleepily, sitting back down on the bed and stretching out his arms above his head: Gwen heard the faint _pop_ in his shoulder blades as he adjusted his position. Privately, she felt that time away from Bellwood had done him as much good as it had done for her – perhaps it was only the harsh artificial lighting of the streets that made him look so gaunt at times, but he looked healthier here. Happier.

Gwen shook her head. "Nah, we're good." She threw a clean t-shirt his way as she continued to rummage through the dresser for some comfortable clothes, and quickly shimmied into some old jeans. Kevin let out a low whistle.

" _Oh, baby,"_ he crooned, fanning himself dramatically, the t-shirt laying forgotten at his feet. Gwen snorted, deliberately sauntering over to where he sat, bending down to meet his lips with her own. He had brushed his teeth; she noted idly, sighing as his tongue ran along the seam of her mouth. It was so easy to live like this, with only want for a few necessities: food, water, sleep, _Kevin._

Her parents would call it a fling – a summer romance gone awry. It may have started like that – as terrible as it was for her to literally fall into the trope of spoiled girl falling for a boy on the wrong side of the tracks (the _Breakfast Club_ immediately sprang to mind), it had moved beyond an insistence that any boy (excluding her cousin, because _ew_ ) must find her beautiful and therefore date-worthy. She cringed to think how she acted back then, stubborn and obstinate to an ugly fault. She had been such a brat.

It worried her how attached she was getting to him, to them, to the life they created here. By this point they had moved beyond fumbling teenagers, beyond lust and infatuations that had left them gasping and flushed, averting each other's gaze the next day. Between them, they were building a routine and with every new day that passed, the dread was growing in Gwen for when it would all come crumbling down before her.

She was hesitant to call it love – love was what her parents showed her, love dictated their actions towards her _and_ to each other: this was something different.

Something more.

Kevin's hands rested on top of her hips, coaxing her to settle on his lap. Her arms thread around his neck and she squeezed her eyes shut tightly as his tongue slipped into her mouth, warm and pleasant against her own.

"I think you should always dress like this," her murmured against her mouth, taking her lower lip and biting it very carefully – she groaned audibly and shifted her position on his lap as a shiver travelled down her spine. He was intoxicating – the taste of him was something that always left her wanting more. Was this what it felt like to be him? To have the ability to absorb whatever he wished and imbue it in himself – to feel it for as long as he wished? The grim implications of being with a person who literally hungered for energy as someone who could become just that – raw, unrestrained energy, was as horrifying as it was fatalistic.

This was unsustainable. _They_ were unsustainable.

Kevin shifted his position on the bed, pulling her flush against his own skin. "I like you like this," he continued, kissing along the bone of her jaw and nipping very slightly. "With all your skin and hair for show…" he bit her neck, and Gwen sighed in pleasure.

"Just for me," he whispered against her skin, and Gwen pressed kisses into his hair, her fingers curling around his jaw, raising his head to see her for a moment.

"Just for you," she breathed.

* * *

Today was a lazy day, Gwen decided, after finishing washing the dishes from breakfast. There was a dishwasher, technically, but Gwen liked the repetitive monotony that came with dishwashing. It gave her time to think – time to simply blob out.

Placing the last plate on the dish rack to drip dry, Gwen grabbed a new tea towel from the cupboard and quickly dried her hands, hanging the towel on top of the still-steaming dishes for later. Kevin had gone outside, she noted, watching as he settled himself in the hammock attached to the porch of the cottage.

He sprawled out on the hammock, comically oversized but somehow managing to look relaxed despite the awkward angle of his legs. He had one of her magic books she realised, watching as he thumbed through it the thick volume. He had been working through them, slowly but surely, occasionally asking for a definition or clarification of a phrase. She knew she oughtn't to be surprised at how quickly he picked up on the inherent rules integral to her mana. He had grown up in an environment where his survival depended on his wits, and ability to learn quickly and think even faster, but it stung a little that despite her heritage she would always feel a little out of place, both here on Earth and elsewhere.

She was sure Kevin would have a different view on fitting in.

Closing the back door behind her, she toed off her sneakers she had put on earlier, and rested her hand on his shoulder; he turned his head slightly to press his lips against her knuckles. "I'm gonna go for a walk," she told him, her fingers dragging softly through his hair. Kevin nodded absently.

"Are you going to talk to Bess again?" he asked her, eyes still focused on whatever page he was reading – from the language being used, Gwen guessed it was one of the later volumes her grandmother had given her, the ones that focused more on the origin stories and myths that tapped into the fabric of their universe.

"I'll tell her you said hello!" she called back, following the faint path that led from the back of the house to where the forest _truly_ began. 'Bess' was a nickname she had given to one of the towering redwoods, a little ways off, near the stream down in the valley. It wasn't the largest, or most remarkable of the trees in the area, but the energy that radiated off it was comforting. Gwen liked to visit her most days, on her way down to swim in the stream. She had built a small pool out of rocks, and would meditate in the water until she couldn't hear her parent's voices.

The energy in the forest felt different today. Not in a dangerous way – her skin always began to crackle with untempered magic whenever that was the case. This was… _strange_. It was like it was muted – subdued. Like she was watching a show on television but the signal was weak, like the audio was fuzzy and warped. It wasn't _around_ her anymore, she realised, stopping at the edge of the forest, turning back to look at where Kevin was. He cocked his head, and sat up in the hammock, his legs swinging off it with practiced ease.

"Gwen?" he called out, beginning to walk towards her.

She stood still, breathing deeply and trying to figure out why it had gone from around her – why had it –

Her hands flew to her stomach, and Gwen nearly forgot to breathe. Kevin sped up to a jog, worry and concern etched deeply into his face. "Gwen, what-"

"How many days are we into April?" she asked harshly, wincing a little at how abrupt she was. It was too hard trying to count out here – all of a sudden the lack of mana around her was deafening in its loss – she wasn't used to being this desensitised from her very _being_ but now she wasn't just a _being_ she was –

 _More,_ her grandmother's saccharine voice crooned in her thoughts.

"I don't-"

"How. Many. _Days."_ Gwen ground out, focusing on the grass next to her, wishing to feel its shift in the slight breeze that blew in the glade – the baby hairs that framed her face tickled her

"It's the twenty-ninth, but-"

" _Fuck_ ," she whispered, sinking to crouch and burying her head in her hands. _How_ _could I be this stupid? How could I forget to remember?_

A soft hand rested on her back, rubbing at the nape of her neck in a soothing manner. "Whatever it is, it won't be as bad as you think," he told her softly, firmly pulling her into a warm embrace. She tried to stifle a sob, roughly grabbing at his shirt in a feeble attempt to push him away. He was too strong for her, his arms like corded steel around her torso as he rocked them slowly from side to side on the dewy grass.

She laughed bitterly, wiping roughly at the tears already falling from her eyes. "We're screwed," she managed between half-sobs and gasps for air. Everything was swimming around her, shifting in ways that were wholly _wrong_.

"How screwed?" ask Kevin. He was so _calm_ – how could he be? Their lives were falling apart right before them and there was nothing that either of them could do to try and stop it.

Gwen took a shuddering breath, and wrapped her arms tighter around him, trying to think enough to sound out the words, to have the strength to say them and not scream in frustration.

"Gwen-" he began, but she breathed them out in one swift sentencing, and he went completely still.

" _I'm pregnant."_


End file.
